Spoke-tightening shim



J. D. TUCKER.

SPOKE TIGHTENING SHIM. APPLICATION FILED FEB.27, 1922.

Pawnted July 11, 1922,

. IN VEN TOR. ales/SQ D, Ehaiaer greenest.

Specification of Letters Patent.

nzlinnnao'rcnrns COMPANY, or saonanrnn'ro, CALIFORNIA, A cornn'rnnnsmn SPOKE-TIGHTENING SHIM.

Patented July 111, i922.

Application filed February 27, 1922. Serial No. 539,661.

T all who mit may concern:

.';;Be it known that I, Jnssn D. TUCKER, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Sac- .ramento, county of Sacramento, State of California, have invented certaln new and .-i iseiul Improvements in Spoke-Tightening Shims; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description at the -;same,- reference being had to the accompany- --euce marked thereon, which form a part of ing-idrawings, and to the characters of refersthis application.

,Tliisinvention relates to improvements in devices for tightening up the wooden spokes of vehicle Wheels, especially those of automobiles'and is particularly an improvement .over thattype of tightener shown in my 00- pending application for patent filed September 12th, 1921, Serial No. 500,150;

The principal object of the present invention is to construct a shim for the above named purpose in suchfa'manner that when once ositioned, it will not become displaced by vi ration, etc, even if the spoke should shrink away from the shim.

This is accomplished by providing the shim with means for engaging the wood of the telly, which while positively preventing further movement of the shim once it is squeezed between the folly and spoke, may at the same time yieldsomewhat in entering the wood, if hard spots in the latter should be encountered. Another object is to construct the shim'so that the above defined wood engaging means may be made integral with the shim, and in such a manner that the entire device may be stamped at one operation from ordinary sheet metal.

A further object of the invention is to produce a simple and inexpensive device and yet one which will be exceedingly effective for the purposes for which it is designed These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

In the drawings similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views.

Fig. 1 is a. perspective view of my improved type of shim, looking at one face thereof.

Fig. 2 is a similar view, looking at the other face.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary outline of a spoke and telly, showing my improved shim when 1n pos1t1on.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a modified form of shim, looking at one face thereof.

Fig. 5 1s.a similar view, looking at the other face. I

Referring now. more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawings, the

numerals 1 and 2 denote the componentparts of the shim shown inFigs. l, 2 and 3, the members being symmetrical and of the same size, each being shaped as a fiat semicircular washer with the cut edges lying in the diametrical line of the center of the member. The members are adapted to be substantially abutted along their edges of separation when inosition, and will then includea central ori ce 3 adapted to snugly surround the tenon 4t of a spoke 5, while the members 1 and 2 seat between said spoke and telly 6.

Each of themembers 1 and 2 is provided with oppositely disposed and integrally formed prongs 7, these being stamped so as to lie at an acute angle to the face of the member and lying in a plane substantially at right angles with the transverse, cut edges thereof; the outer and preferably pointed ends of the prongs facing away from said edges and being out free of'the shim, the only area of connection therewith being at the opposite ends.

These prongs therefore form barbs acting to prevent movement of the shim members. away from the tenon once they are positioned thereabout, as shown in Fig. 3, since they bite into the w od of the folly and prevent movement'of each member in the only direction that it could move.

The shims themselves being of somewhat thin metal, and the prongs being free at one end, allows the latter to yield in the event that the hardness of the' wood of the folly prevents them from sinking therein for their. full and normal depth, so that they automatically accommodate themselves to the conditions encountered.

In the modified type of shim shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the shim structure consists of a single member 8 in the shape of a horseshoe, being thus provided with an opening 9 from one edge leading to the central orifice 10, which fits about the ten'on of the spoke.

Stamped from the shim on opposite sides of the opening 9 are barbs 11, positioned to lie parallel to said opening, and with. the outer or free ends facing away from the outer end of said opening. These barbs, like the prongs 7. are yieldable under-pressure so as to accommodate themselves to difcure by Letters Patent, is

l. A s'poketightening shim comprising a ferent hardness of'wood encountered, andwhen biting into the wood act to-prevent the shim from movement away from the tenon about which it is placed.

It will be readily seen that the shims and the prongs incorporated 'therewith may easily be stamped at oneoperation'from ordinary sheet metal and with a very simple die.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I have produced such a device as substantially fu the invention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in de-l -tail the present and preferred construction of thedevice, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit ofthe invention, as defined by the appended claims. J Having thus described my invention, what Iclai'm as new and useful and desire to sefiat member adapted to be placed about the fills the objects of tenon of a spoke, and yieldable prongs punched from the shim and projecting beyond one face thereof.

2. A spoke tightening shim comprising a flat member adapted to be placed about the tenon of a spoke, and prongs punched from the shim and projecting beyond one face thereof the prongs projecting at an acute angle from one face of the shim and the outer ends thereof facing in the direction toward which the shim must be moved to Withdraw thesame from about the tenon,

3. A spoke tightening shim comprising a flat member adapted to be placed about the one face thereof, and'at an angle thereto,

the outer endsof the prongs facing away from the abutting edges of the members,

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

Jesse B. TUCKER. 

